Environmental Conservation Based on Community Empowerment: Case Study in Toba Caldera UNESCO Global Geopark

Abstract

Toba Caldera UNESCO Global Geopark (TCUGG) has not only geological phenomena of international geological significance value but also has outstanding universal value by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The establishment of TCUGG as a national priority and the Lake Toba Authority Agency is a serious commitment from the government to develop this region. Although it is now a super-priority tourism destination, over the last six decades, the water level of Lake Toba has decreased significantly by 2.4 cm per year from 1957 to 2016. The environmental quality index shows a decline from year to year, and environmental conditions of Lake Toba are already very severe due to various factors. The government and local communities are still running independently for the conservation agenda. This empirical research uses a mixed method of sequential explanation. The main objective of the research is to analyze the determinants of local people's choices to participate in conservation activities in TCUGG. From the research results, the significant factors that determine the local communities' participation in conservation activities are water availability, incentives, suitability of seeds, trust level for the initiator, and the success rate of previous conservation. Society does not need promises or rhetoric, especially for those who have participated before and experienced low success rates. Application of reward and punishment as an incentive for the community to participate in conservation activities and to further encourage their motivation. The main key is to serve the needs of the community in conservation practices.

Pemberdayaan Komunitas Lokal dalam Pelestarian Lingkungan: Tinjauan atas Proyek Kolaboratif, Keberlanjutan, dan Pengambilan Keputusan

“…Hal ini memungkinkan masyarakat setempat untuk berpartisipasi aktif dalam proses Jurnal Multidisiplin West Science  pengambilan keputusan dan mengambil alih kepemilikan inisiatif konservasi (Iskandar et al, 2023;Iskandar & Kaltum, 2021, 2022Jaman & Pertiwi, 2023). Masyarakat yang diberdayakan lebih mungkin untuk terlibat dalam praktik-praktik berkelanjutan dan berkontribusi secara efektif terhadap perlindungan lingkungan (Simandjorang et al, 2022). Sebuah studi kasus di Kaldera Toba UNESCO Global Geopark menyoroti pentingnya pemberdayaan masyarakat dalam konservasi lingkungan.…”

“…Sebuah studi kasus di Kaldera Toba UNESCO Global Geopark menyoroti pentingnya pemberdayaan masyarakat dalam konservasi lingkungan. Studi ini menemukan bahwa faktor-faktor penting yang menentukan partisipasi masyarakat lokal dalam kegiatan konservasi meliputi ketersediaan air, insentif, kesesuaian bibit, tingkat kepercayaan terhadap pemrakarsa, dan tingkat keberhasilan upaya konservasi sebelumnya (Simandjorang et al, 2022). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa pemberdayaan masyarakat dapat menghasilkan upaya konservasi yang lebih efektif jika masyarakat lokal dilibatkan dan memiliki rasa tanggung jawab dan kepedulian terhadap sumber daya alam mereka.…”

“…Secara historis, masyarakat pedesaan telah menjadi penjaga sumber daya alam ini, tetapi peran dan kemampuan mereka untuk melakukan perubahan positif sering kali diabaikan atau diremehkan. Konsep pemberdayaan masyarakat dalam pelestarian lingkungan mengakui potensi masyarakat untuk berkontribusi secara signifikan dalam pelestarian ekosistem lokal dan mempromosikan keberlanjutan (PEOPLES, n.d.;Simandjorang et al, 2022). Proyek-proyek kolaboratif, yang melibatkan kemitraan antara masyarakat lokal, lembaga pemerintah, lembaga swadaya masyarakat (LSM), dan pemangku kepentingan lainnya, telah mendapatkan daya tarik sebagai mekanisme yang efektif untuk mencapai tujuan pelestarian lingkungan (Herdiansyah & Rizki, 2021;Mulrennan et al, 2012;Partridge, 2011).…”

Social Inclusion and Empowerment: Developing Local Potential in Bahu Palawa Village of Pulang Pisau Regency of Central Kalimantan Province

“…Sustainable development of the tourism sector is necessary to have a lasting impact and improve the welfare of the surrounding community (Soesanta et al, 2023). This is done by empowering the local community and environment (Munawaroh & Fajri, 2023;Simandjorang et al, 2022). Developing local potential through tourism can be used as regional branding (Juniarti et al, 2023), so it is useful for attracting tourists and promoting destinations.…”

Rebranding Samosir Island As City of Foreign Tourists

“…But it must be admitted, the face of our tourism today seems to only focus on Bali tourist destinations which are famous for their interesting culture and various exotic places and seem slow and less concerned in promoting and preserving other cultures and tourism that have potential that is no less interesting than Bali. This can be seen from the increase in foreign tourist visits to North Sumatra Province, especially Toba Caldera UNESCO Global Geopark (TCUGGp), which is famous for Lake Toba and Samosir Island in the middle (Simandjorang et al, 2022). Lake Toba is the largest freshwater reservoir in Southeast Asia, with vast tropical mountains with a maximum depth of approximately 450 meters.…”